Kansas City Chiefs: Five Defensive Players to Watch in 2018

REGGIE RAGLAND

A name that should excite Chiefs fans is Reggie Ragland. This former Buffalo Bills second round pick had a rough start to his NFL career. After sitting out his rookie season because of a knee injury he fell in Buffalo’s depth chart before the Chiefs traded for him in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2019 draft.

His impact last season was felt immediately, playing in twelve games and starting in ten of those games, sitting out the “bye” week against Denver in week 17. Ragland was originally predicted to be a first round draft pick in the 2016 draft, but fell on some draft boards after he was believed to have some medical concerns.

Pairing him up with former Chiefs great, Derrick Johnson, seems to have been a good move on GM Brett Veach’s part. The big, physical, linebacker could be seen making some big plays last season, especially against his former team in week 12.

It has been reported that Ragland has lost around ten pounds as he’s working to be leaner and faster for the upcoming season. Hopefully improving his coverage skills will help to make him a more well-rounded linebacker.

With the Chiefs letting Derrick Johnson go after the season, his experience in the middle of the defense will be tough to replace, but the 24 year old Ragland and newly acquired linebacker Anthony Hitchens should help improve the defense. The Kingdom should have their eyes on Ragland as he looks to make some even bigger strides in year two.